Ice-cutting machine.



PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907.

H. WULFP. ICE CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1906.

-1 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

g y f gmmd No. 871,978 PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907.

H. WULFF.

ICE CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATLON FILED AUG.21,1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WW a'Homlu PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907.

H. WULFF. IUE CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION mum AUG.?\\1, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

altar/ma No. 871,978. PATENTBD NOV. 2r, 1907. H. WU'LFP. ICE CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.21,1906.

4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

. To all it may concern:

.. -J. HERMAN WU'LEF, or TOLEDO, 01110;-

s icE-cur'rrne Be itfiknownithat- I, HERMAN WULFF, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Toledo, inthe county of Lucas and tate of Ohio, haveinvented a new and meful' Ice- Cutting Machine, of which the foll w ing is 'a specification.

-' This inventionrelates to means for scoring ice fields, and one of the princi a1 objects is to provide novel, simple and e ective mechanism, whereby ice of different thicknesses may be cut, and the depth of the cut readily regulated. I

Another object is to rovide,in connection with rotary cutters, w 'ch can be rotated at a high rate of'speed, means whereby the cuttings will be confined, and not thrown over the entire machine, said means not interfering with the remainder of the mechanism or the adjustment of the cutters.

Still another object is to provide means for removing snow,-sush and the like from the surface of the ice, said means being movable to effectively relieve itself from the accumuvlation at the end of the cut.

The preferred form of construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,-where- '1n:'-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional-view. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the guide frame and substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6

is;a rear-elevation of a portion of the, guide frame and the swinging frame.

detail sectional view through the upper cross bars of the guide frame. Fig. 8 is a sectional Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view through the scraper mechanism. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional sils'll connected by cross beams 12.

view through a portion of the same. Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated, a supportin frame is employed, comprising a pair of On i therear ends of the sills is journaled a driving axle 13 having traction wheels 14, preferably providedwi'th spurs 15. The front portions of: theisills have outstanding studs 16,, on l which are-.pivo-tally mounted stub axles 17.

1-'Z, and are also preferably provided with Guide wheels. 18 are. journaled on the axles Fig. 7 is a l at 46.

. Patented 150 7 A s urs 19. The axles 17 are connected by hnks 20 to a crank'arm 21', carried by the lower end of a shaft 22'that is journaledinia cross bar of the supporting frame.- The n er end of the shaftis provided with a ham e ever 23 operating over acurved'ba'r 24' proa vid'ed wit a plurality of sockets'25; The

teeth of said dog engaging ili'th gg k t s will be apparent,

front standards 33 and rear standards 34, the latter being curved, as shown. The uper ends of these standards are connected by ongitudinally disposed beams 35,- a-nd a rear cross. beam 36. The rear curved standards 34 are arranged in sets, as cIe-arlyillust-rated in Figs. 5 and 6, and extending betw'ee'n'the standards of each set are the side bars 37 of a swinging carrier frame, said side bars being pivoted at their front ends, and as shown at 38 to the frontstandards 33,.and having their rear ends connected by a bar 39 that is disposed in rear of the curved standards 34. The outer curved standards 34', as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, areprovided with a series of sockets 40, and ins 41 are adapted to be placed in said soc rets on opbeam 36, as clearly 'illustratedinFigs. 2, 3 and 7, is provided with a central guide-wit 42, in which a block 43 is slidably mounte Anadjusting screw 44 has a threaded engagement with this block, said adjusting screw being provided at its upper end with a suitable hand wheel 45, and having its lower 1 end journaled in the cross bar 39, asshown Arranged within the-guide frame; is a casl ing, com rising side walls 47, provided with curved s ots 48, that are disposed concentrically to the pivot axis of the swinging frame. This casing also has fronnand. rear l walls 49, and a top 50, which topis hinged lever includes a double toothed dog 26, the.

ing frame in rear of the engine, and inc udes' posite sides of the cross bar 39. vvThe cross 65 A motor 27 of any suitable 'type, prefer at one .end,'as shown at 51. A shaft 52 is journaled on the side bars 37 of the swinging frame, and extends through the slots 48 and across the casing. Rotary saws or cutters 53 are secured to the shaft, and are located Within the casing. In the present embodiment, two saws are shown, but it will be evident that one or more may be employed,

I as is found des'n'able or necessary. One end 30 of the shaft 52 is provided with a pulley 54, around which passes a crossed belt that also passes about another pulley 56, carried by the opposite end of the engine shaft 28 to that {carrying the sprocket wheel 29. ,The

pulley 56 has a suitable clutch connection 56 with the shaft 28. The other end of. the shaft152, to that carrying the pulley 54,. has

a pinion 57, which is in mesh with an idler pinion 58, secured to the adjacent bar"37 of the; swinging frame. The pinion 58 constitute's in effect a rotary bearing, to which istransmitted the lateral strain upon the 'shaftii 52' due to the belt The cross bar 39 on said swinging frame projects at one end beyond the adjacent side bar 37, and suitably secured thereto, is an arm 59. To the free end of this arm is adjustably connected a link 60, having a longitudinal centrally disposed slot 61, that receives a pin 62 suspended by a bracket 63 from the guide frame. vided with a roller 64 that bears against the belt 55, and constitutes, in connection with the link and arm, a belt tightener, as here-. inafter described.

Guides for the machine are employed that are in the shape of runners 65, carried by swinging brackets 66, hinged, as shown at 67 to the opposite side of the supporting frame. The'se brackets are connected by links 68 with bell crank levers 69 that are fulcrumed on racks 70 secured to the upper bars 35 of the guide frame. Dogs 71, carried by the lever 69, coo erate with the rack.

Upon the front end of the supporting frame are fixed space guideways 72 that are preferably disposed at an inclination, and have reciprocatory slides 73 mounted therein. it scraper blade 74 has hinge connections 75 with the lower ends of the slides 73, this blade, as shown in 1 and 8, being provided with rcarwardly extending cars 76, having openings 77 therein. Pins 78 arelocated in certain of these openings, and bridge the spaces between the ears, said pins engaging in sockets T9, formed in the upper ends of the guit'le-ways 7'), as clearly shown in Fig. 10. A post at) has a lever 51 fulcruincd upon the upper end thereof, and this lever is connected by links 52 with the rear side of the scraper blade 74. i

A suitable llnuli 53 ls ill"- ranged to engage the lever to hold the rear end thereof in depressed" condition. The scraper plate 7-1 is furt hernu we provided with 6551 central rearwardly extending flange 84,

The front end of the link 60 is pro having a longitudinal'slot- 85, therein, and another lever 86, fulcrumed on a bracket 87 secured to the post 80, has a rollerbearing 88 in the slot 85.

I The operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows. Assuming the motor in operation, it will be apparent that if the pulley 56 and sprocket wheel :29 are thrown into cl ntch with the driving shaft 28, the machine will be propelled forwardly, and the cutters will be rotated. The depth of the cut made calrbe readily regulated by the screw 4-1, butin order to remove unnecessary strain from this screw, the pins 41 are employed. The cuttings will be thrown out by the saws with great force, but they will strike the interior of the casing and gravitate back upon the ice. At the same time if it becomes desirable or necessary to gain access to'the cutters, for instance, for the purpose of placing saltqthereon to prevent the freezing, the cover 50 can be readily raised, as will be evi' dent by reference to Fig.3. It will be observed, in connection with this mechanism, that the saws or cutters rotate in a direction 90 opposed to thatin which the machine is running, andthus the. said cutters hold themselves to their work and all liability of their riding up on to the ice is avoided. The proper location of the cuts is readily obtained by means of the gages 65, one of which is placed in a previous cut, as shown in Fig. 4,

the other being out of action. The depth of the cut is of course regulated by the screw 44,

and pins 41, and in this connection, it will be noted that when the swinging frame israised or lowered to vary the depth, the belt" tightener comprising the parts 59, 60 and 61, will be moved in order to always maintain the proper tension of the belt 55.

In case, there is snow or slush to be removed, from the surface of the ice being cut, the scraper 7 4 is placed in operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and3, in which case the material to be removed,is carried by the ma- 1 10 chine in front of the cutters. When the end of the out is reached, the machine is stopped, and the levers 81 and 86 are operated, the former effecting an upward movement of the blade, and latter swinging the same upon the slides 73 so as to deposit the material in a pile. In turning at the ends or the sides of the field, the lever 23 is actuated so as to turn the axles 17 and thereby the front or guiding wheels 18.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art,'with out further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape,

proportion, and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Havh"; thus fully described my invention, cat-Orv carricrnmamh -l in the guide-way. what I clann as new, and desire to secure by means for moving 1hl'ZHIKl. a scraper mov- Letters .latent, is

1. In an ice cuttingmachine, the combination with a supporting frame, of a swinging carrier frame, pivoted on the supporting frame, a shaft journaled on the carrier frame, cutters secured to the shaft, means for rotating the shaft and cutters, a guide frame associated with the carrier frame and comprising curved standards, and a cross bar connecting the standards. said bar having a transverse guide-way, a block slidahlv mounted in the guide-way, and an adjusting screw threaded through said hlock and having a rotatable hearing in the carrier frame, the path of; movement of thc rear end of the carrierframe being suhstantiallr parallel to the lever for swinging the scraper, said lever havcurved standards.

2. In an ice cutting machine, the combination with a supporting frame. of a casing mounted thereon, a swinging frame located outside the casing, a shaft journaled on the frame and extending through the casing, said casing having slots in its opposite side walls 3 through which the shaft passes, a cutter carf ried by the shaft and having its upper ortion located in the casing, means connecte to the shaft exteriorlv of the casing for rotating said shaft, ant means located exterior-l3 of the casing for raising and lowering the frame.

3. In an ice cutting n'tachine, the combination with a supporting frame, of a casing mounted thereon and having side walls provided with curved slots, a door constituting a closure for the upper portion of said casing, a swinging frame mounted outside the casing, a guide frame associated with the casing and the swinging frame, an adjusting screw connecting the guide and swinging frames, a shaft journaled on the swinging frame and located exteriorlv of the casing, said shaft extending through the slots of the casing and across the interior of said casing, a lurality of rotary saws fixed to the shaft, ant a motor mounted on t e supporting frame and connected to the raft outside the casing for rotating the same.

4. In an ice cutting machine, thecombination with a supporting frame, of cutting mechanism movably mounted thereon. a=

carrier movahly mounted on the supporting frame independently of the cutting mechanism, a scraper movably mounted on the car rier, means for moving the carrier, and other means for moving the scraper on the carrier.

5. In an ice cutting machine, the combination with a supporting frame, of cutting mechanism mounted thereon, a guide-way carried h the supporting frame, a reciproably mounted on the carrier. and means for moving the scraper on the carrier.

0. In an ice cutting machine, the combination with a supporting frame, of cutting mechanism mounted thereon. spaced upwardly extending guide-ways carried by one end of the supporting frame, reciprocatory carriers slid ahlv mounted in the guide-ways, a scraper secured to the carriers, and a lever connected to the scraper for raising and lowering the same.

7. In an ice cutting machine, the combination with a supporting frame, of cutting mechanism mounted thereon, a swinging scraper mounted on the frame, said scraper having a slot in its rear side, and an actuating ing a )ortion movable in the slot.

8. it an ice cutting machine, the combination with a supporting frame, of means for propelling the same, cutting mechanism mounted on the frame, spaced guide-ways supported on the frame in advance of the cutting mechanism, reciprocatorv slides mounted in the guide-ways, a scraper hinged to the lower ends of the slides, alever c011- nected to the scraper for raising and lowering the same, and another lever connected to the scra er for effecting its swinging movement on t 1e slides.

9. In an ice cutting machine, the combination with a supporting frame, of means for driving the same, a carrier movably mounted on the supporting frame, a scraper movably mount ed on the carrier, means for moving the carrier and the scraper together, and other means for moving the scraper on the carrier to effect a dumping movement of said scraper.

10. In an ice cutting machine, the combination with a supporting frame, of means for moving the same,'spaced guide-ways carried by the supporting frame, reciprocatorv slides mounted in the guide-ways, a scraper hinged to the lower ends of the slides, said scraper having a slot in its rear side, a lever mounted on the supporting frame and having an engagement 1n the slot, and another lever mounted on the supporting frame and having a link connection with the scraper.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN \VULFF.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES S. NORTIHUP, WILLIAM ULFF. 

